Childhood Awe
...and Inspiration
Recollections ....Peter Newey
My interest in and love for the organ began when as a 9yr-old I was invited to join the junior choir at St Peter’s Anglican Church Hamilton. At the time I was learning piano from music teacher Alva Green who was also the organist at St Paul’s Anglican Church Stockton.
What marvellous sounds came from the “century-old” German-built pipe organ with its highly ornamental Gothic-style facade. Besides the “foundation” tone (known as “diapason”) there were stops that sounded like a flute or violin, also the deep notes of pedal “Bourdon” (French for “humming”). How clever that a musician could play with both feet and hands. From that moment I wanted to become a church organist.
Bertie Nichols was the organist at St Peter’s, also a gentle saintly man from a very devout family. His father had been superintendent of the Sunday School at St James’ Church Wickham and his brother Charles was a senior minister (with title of “Canon”) in the Diocese of Newcastle. Sadly, he suffered from St Vitus’ Dance, a disorder causing jerky uncontrollable movements of the face, arms and legs, and believed to be result of a nervous breakdown while training to be a schoolteacher (like his father). Despite this, he served St Peter’s faithfully for 40 years before retiring with failing health.
Each year the choir joined those from other churches for a Youth Rally at Christ Church
Cathedral. How awesome the big pipe organ sounded as we processed up the aisle to the choir stalls below it. The first time it seemed overwhelming and quite frightening. Nevertheless I eagerly looked forward to the day when I could play it.
My piano teacher had learnt the organ from the legendary cathedral organist Tom Massey. Though she didn’t teach organ, I pestered her to show me “the ropes”, but it was four years before she finally relented (when had grown enough for feet to reach pedals). Lessons were given on the splendid two-manual pipe organ at St Paul’s Stockton.
In September 1946, Mr Nichols drew my attention to a newspaper advertisement for an organist at St Andrew’s Anglican Church Mayfield and urged me to apply. Being barely 15 years old, I couldn’t see one of Newcastle’s leading churches accepting a “kid”. Besides, I’d only been learning for 18 months and was still far from competent on the pedals. With further “prodding” from St Peter’s rector Canon Keith Single and curate Revd Doug Stewart, I made an appointment to see the St Andrew’s rector Canon Withycombe.
He was a big man with stern face and gruff voice who put me through the “third degree”. The organ at St Andrew’s was in a loft accessed by narrow stairway from vestry. One had to pass the pipes, bellows and mechanism to reach the console. Fortunately, my interest in the construction of organs helped in answering his many questions on how this instrument worked. He also tested my sightreading of music with playing hymns chosen at random from the church’s hymnbook.
On the off-chance that my application might be accepted, I attended St Andrew’s each Sunday to become familiar with the type of music used in services there.
Was I successful? Find out in the next episode.
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